Springfield Foundation

What Springfield Foundation does

Springfield Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1948 and headquartered at 333 North Limestone St., Suite 201, Springfield, Ohio. It serves Clark County and the surrounding region by raising, investing, and distributing permanent charitable funds. The foundation manages a $60+ million pooled investment portfolio through a long-standing partnership with Marquette Associates and administers eight distinct fund types — Donor Advised Funds, Charitable Checking, Agency Endowment Funds, Designated Funds, Field of Interest Funds, Unrestricted Funds, Scholarship Funds, and Horizon Funds — to serve individual donors, families, businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

Its core products are organized around three distribution channels. The competitive annual grant cycle disburses roughly $1M per year to Clark County nonprofits (a record $1,069,082.80 distributed across 106 of 143 applications in 2024). The scholarship program consolidates more than 150 named scholarship funds into a single application, awarding approximately $769K via 443 scholarships in 2024. Donor and grantee self-service is delivered through the GoFund Online Donor Portal, developed by Akoyago, which lets fund holders view statements and submit grant recommendations online; the foundation's website is hosted by Firespring.

The business model is the standard community-foundation donor-advised model with no fees charged to charitable recipients. "Revenue" consists entirely of charitable gifts ($5.0M in 2024, down from $12.6M in 2023, a 75th-anniversary year) supplemented by investment returns on the pooled portfolio. Fund minimums of $10,000 (and $30,000 for standard renewable scholarship funds) gate fund creation. A small 1–10 person staff, led by Executive Director Susan Carey and Director of Development Sarah McPherson, operates alongside an engaged board and 250+ Legacy Society members.

Name

Springfield Foundation

Legal name

Springfield Foundation

Website

https://springfieldfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Springfield Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1948 that raises, invests, and distributes charitable funds for Clark County, Ohio, managing $60M+ in pooled assets and administering grants, scholarships, and donor-advised funds for individual donors and local nonprofits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Philanthropic fund management
• Charitable grant administration
• Scholarship fund management
• Donor advised funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Gift Acceptance & Fund Management: The Springfield Foundation raises permanent charitable funds from donors (individuals, families, businesses) and distributes grants and scholarships to qualified recipients. Revenue is generated entirely from charitable contributions, not product/service sales. The foundation earns investment returns on its $60+ million asset pool, a portion of which supports operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Springfield Foundation is a community foundation that raises, manages, and distributes permanent charitable funds for the benefit of Clark County, Ohio and the surrounding region. It offers donors multiple fund types (Donor Advised, Charitable Checking, Agency Endowment, Designated, Field of Interest, Unrestricted, Horizon, and Scholarship Funds) and runs an annual competitive grant cycle and consolidated scholarship program that distributed a record $1,069,082.80 in grants and $769,000 in scholarships in 2024.

Product overview

The Springfield Foundation operates as a single unified community foundation offering a comprehensive portfolio of philanthropic services. The core offerings include grants administration (competitive grant cycles distributing millions annually), scholarship management (over 150 funds awarding $769K+ yearly), and multiple fund types (Donor Advised Funds, Charitable Checking, Agency Endowment Funds, Designated Funds, Field of Interest Funds, Unrestricted Funds, and Horizon Funds). The Foundation supports donors through the Partner in Philanthropy annual campaign and the Legacy Society planned giving program. In 2023-2024, the Foundation launched the GoFund Online Donor Portal, a web-based platform enabling donors to manage accounts, view statements, and submit grants electronically. The Foundation is a trusted philanthropic partner serving Clark County for over 75 years, managing $60+ million in pooled assets through investment manager Marquette Associates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Legacy Society: Honors individuals who have made a commitment to the community's future by including planned gifts in their estate plans.
• Partners in Philanthropy
• GoFund
• Community Catalyst Blog

Products and services

• Grants Program Competitive annual grant cycles awarding discretionary funding to nonprofits and community projects in Clark County, Ohio. The foundation distributes millions in grants annually through this program, including a record $1,069,082.80 awarded to 106 of 143 applications in 2024 and multi-year initiative grants such as $75,000/year for 5 years to Rocking Horse Community Health Center.
• Scholarship Program Manages over 150 scholarship funds and administers a consolidated single-submission scholarship application. Distributes approximately $769,000 annually through 443+ scholarships to local students in Clark County and the surrounding region pursuing higher education. In 2024, 515 applications were received and 443 scholarships totaling $769,000 were awarded.
• Donor Advised Funds Hands-on philanthropy vehicle allowing donors to recommend grants to charitable organizations throughout the year while receiving tax benefits. Donors contribute to the fund and recommend grants over time to IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) organizations.
• Charitable Checking A simple, no-fee service offering donors the opportunity to recommend charitable distributions from a special non-endowed fund they set up at the foundation.
• Agency Endowment Funds Funds created by local nonprofit organizations to take advantage of the foundation's financial management and administrative resources, providing steady perpetual income and access to the foundation's $60+ million diversified investment pool managed by Marquette Associates.
• Designated Funds Funds that create ongoing, reliable support for specific nonprofits chosen by the donor, providing permanent income to designated charitable organizations.
• Field of Interest Funds Funds that allow donors to focus contributions toward a specific area of interest (age group, education, healthcare, geographic area) while the foundation identifies organizations making the greatest impact. $10,000 or more minimum to open.
• Unrestricted Funds Flexible funds that give the foundation Board the authority to respond to the changing needs of the community as they evolve over time. $10,000 minimum to create. Accepts cash, stock, real property, mutual funds, and closely held business interests.
• Horizon Funds Funds built over years that grow into permanent endowments, supporting long-term community giving.
• Partner in Philanthropy Annual giving campaign allowing donors to contribute directly to support vital community programs and initiatives. Over $55,000 was collected in the 2024 campaign and over $58,000 in 2023.
• Legacy Society Planned giving program established in 2001 to acknowledge and honor individuals who have made a commitment to the community's future by including planned gifts in their estate plans. Over 250 members have made planned gift intentions to benefit Clark County through the foundation.
• GoFund Online Donor Portal Web-based donor portal platform (powered by Akoyago) enabling donors to view donation history, update contact information, view fund statements, and submit grant requests online. Supports multiple funds with drop-down selection for individual donors, donor-advised fund holders, and charitable checking account holders.
• African American Community Family of Funds (AACF) Partnership fund housed within the Springfield Foundation encouraging philanthropy among African-Americans in Clark County. Provides resources for a broad range of current and future charitable needs throughout the community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed a record $1,069,082.80 in the 2024 competitive grant cycle (106 of 143 proposals funded)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Community Health FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Community Health Foundation co-organized 'Getting the Grant: A Foundational Grant Writing Workshop' alongside the Springfield Foundation, United Way of Clark, Champaign, and Madison Counties, the Wilson Sheehan Foundation, and the Springfield chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
• United Way of Clark, Champaign, and Madison CountiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024United Way co-organized a grant writing workshop with the Springfield Foundation in 2024, alongside Community Health Foundation, Wilson Sheehan Foundation, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
• Wilson Sheehan FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Wilson Sheehan Foundation co-organized a grant writing workshop with the Springfield Foundation in 2024, alongside Community Health Foundation, United Way, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (Springfield Chapter)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Springfield chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals co-organized a grant writing workshop with the Springfield Foundation in 2024.
• Clark State CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Clark State College partnered with the Springfield Foundation for the Mental Health and Wellness Fair, where foundation staff spoke with students about the scholarship process and FAFSA. The foundation also provided financing support for the new Global Impact Stem Academy 'Upper Academy' located on the campus of Clark State.
• Culture Works / Springfield Symphony OrchestraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Springfield Foundation co-sponsored an event featuring Randy Cohen of Americans for the Arts, exploring the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 Study, alongside Clark State College and the Turner Foundation. The event was organized by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
• Rocking Horse Community Health CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Rocking Horse Community Health Center is the recipient of the Springfield Foundation's flagship 75th Anniversary Initiative — a $75,000/year for 5 years ($375,000 total) grant to fund a school-based health clinic at Springfield High School providing mental and behavioral health services to youth. In the first 5 months of operation, the clinic recorded 1,160 visits, with 610 for behavioral health services.
• Youth Violence Prevention CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Springfield Foundation co-created a collaborative of community leaders dedicated to lowering youth violence in Clark County. This group successfully obtained a $1.6 million technical assistance grant to investigate gun violence problems and identify effective strategies to reduce youth violence.
• African American Community Fund (AACF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe African American Community Fund (AACF) is a partnership/fund housed within the Springfield Foundation that encourages philanthropy among African-Americans in Clark County. The fund provides resources for a broad range of current and future charitable needs throughout the community.
• Champaign Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChampaign Community Foundation is listed as a partnership of the Springfield Foundation, suggesting a collaborative relationship between regional community foundations.
• Women's Partnership FundsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's Partnership Funds is listed as a partnership of the Springfield Foundation, suggesting a collaborative fund focused on women's philanthropy in the region.
• Hartman Rock GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHartman Rock Garden is listed as a partnership of the Springfield Foundation, suggesting collaborative support for this local cultural attraction.
• SpringForwardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpringForward is listed as a partnership of the Springfield Foundation, suggesting a collaborative community development or civic initiative.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Columbus Foundation: Ohio's largest community foundation, managing multi-billion-dollar assets and serving central Ohio with donor-advised funds, competitive grant cycles, and scholarship programs across a much broader geographic footprint than Springfield Foundation. Operates in the same state under the same community foundation model, making it a directly relevant comparison point for both asset scale and programmatic structure.
• Cleveland Foundation: One of the largest and oldest community foundations in the United States, headquartered in Ohio and offering donor-advised funds, competitive grants, scholarships, and agency endowments. Provides a longer-tenured, larger-scale benchmark for community foundation operating models in Ohio.
• Greater Cincinnati Foundation: A larger Ohio-based community foundation providing donor-advised funds, competitive grant cycles, and scholarship administration across greater Cincinnati. Useful as a peer for benchmarking community foundation operations, fund types, and donor engagement strategies within the same state.

Direct peers

• The Dayton Foundation: A neighboring Ohio community foundation serving the Dayton region with a comparable mix of donor-advised funds, agency endowments, competitive grant cycles, and scholarship programs. Comparable in mission and structure to Springfield Foundation, making it one of the closest analogs in size, geography, and service model within Ohio.
• Marion Community Foundation: A small-to-mid-sized Ohio community foundation operating donor-advised funds, agency endowments, scholarships, and competitive grants — closely comparable in scale, fund types, and rural/small-city community foundation model to Springfield Foundation. Most relevant size-and-model peer.

Emerging players

• Community Health Foundation: A regional foundation explicitly co-organizing grant-writing workshops with Springfield Foundation and focused on community health grantmaking. Slightly different primary mission (health-focused vs general community foundation) but operates in adjacent geography and partnership space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thespringfieldfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springfield-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/thespringfieldfoundation?igsh=MTNhZ280a2d1cDRtcA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Springfield Foundation